49ers covet O'Neal, at a price

Larry Stone, OF THE EXAMINER STAFF

Published 4:00 am, Thursday, February 22, 1996

SANTA CLARA - George Seifert says Leslie O'Neal is the best pass rusher on the market. Leslie O'Neal says San Francisco is the team he's always longed to play for. The 49ers desperately need a top-flight pass rusher.

It seems like a perfect match, but in the murky world of free agency, reality often gets in the way of desire, and logic can fly out the window. After O'Neal's visit to 49ers headquarters on Wednesday, everyone involved said all the right things, but whether that will translate into a 49er contract is another question.

"I think there's a chance," Seifert said. "It's hard for me to say how good. There's so many personalities involved in these thing nowadays. Before, the coach would sit down with the player, and if they liked each other, you'd get the guy. Now it's much more complicated and much more difficult to predict the outcome."

The most obvious complication is salary, and maneuvering around the salary cap. O'Neal, whose next team visit will be in Denver on Friday, made $3.182 million last year in San Diego, where he was selected to the Pro Bowl for the sixth time.

The 49ers couldn't talk contract with O'Neal on Wednesday, because team president Carmen Policy was in Maui and director of operations Dwight Clark was on a ski vacation in Utah. But O'Neal's agent, Marvin Demoff, was in San Francisco last weekend, and Seifert said preliminary talks have already taken place.

"I'm not going to stand here and say we'll do whatever . . . that the sky's the limit," Seifert said. "Obviously, that's not the case. There are a lot of other positions and players we've got to concern ourselves with, but hopefully we'll be very competitive and wind up having this player with us. . . . Certainly, of the pass rushers available, we think he's the best available person."

O'Neal, 31, had 12-1/4 sacks last year and has 105-1/4 in his 10-year career. He has a reputation for being a meddler in front-office affairs, but he indicated it stems from his desire to win.

"If you're in a good organization that consistently wants to win, then all of us are on the same page," he said. "One of the problems I had in San Diego was they didn't want to win all the time. They were happy just to be in the Super Bowl.

"I've got a Super Bowl ring that we got our butts kicked in by this same organization (the 49ers beating San Diego, 49-26, in Super Bowl XXIX). I've never worn the ring. I want to get a couple of rings I can wear that I can be proud of."

Asked to rate his chances of signing with San Francisco, O'Neal replied, "You know what, it's a very good chance. It's the first place I've visited. This is the team I've always talked about over the last four or five years. Their level of consistency has been there."

Said Seifert: "He has the talent we are looking for, and he plays the position we certainly covet. We've had great pass rushers here in the past in Fred Dean and Charles Haley, and it's time we have another one."

The next two players due to visit Santa Clara are guard Ray Brown (Redskins) and running back Tommy Vardell (Browns). Running back Rodney Hampton (Giants) arrives Monday.

On Wednesday, the 49ers presented offer sheets to a pair of restricted free agents from Tampa Bay - safety Curtis Buckley and kicker Michael Husted. The Bucs have seven days to match San Francisco's offer.

Buckley appeared in 15 games for Tampa Bay, mainly on special teams. Husted led the Bucs in scoring with 82 points, converting 19 of 26 field goals.

Seifert on Wednesday expressed his regrets over losing cornerback Eric Davis to Carolina, but said the team is prepared to replace him from within with Tyronne Drakeford. He played mostly as a nickel back last year in his second NFL season.

"I believe Tyronne has the basic abilities to be a good player," Seifert said. "It's up to him now."

Seifert also said the signing of defensive end Roy Barker doesn't necessarily signal the end of Dennis Brown's career with the 49ers, despite talk they are trying to trade him and his $950,000 salary.

There was, in fact, a printed report that the 49ers tried to trade Brown, tackle Steve Wallace and a draft pick to the New York Jets for running back Adrian Murrell.

"I've not talked to the Jets, and as far as I know, no administrative person in the organization has talked to them," Seifert said.&lt;

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